Vacation In The Maldives Cost
Have you ever thought if Maldives is affordable or not? Thinking on Maldives hotel booking cost and vacation in Maldives cost? Just check out this complete guide to learn answers of your queries.
Don’t let the Maldives be just a dream for you; have it come true. And this is possible when you plan ahead. There are so many beautiful islands in the Maldives, and each has its unique features, sights and colors that can bring out the best of your honeymoon experience. Just like every other destination, Maldives also has a wide variety of hotels and resorts where you can stay while on vacation.
Want to visit the Maldives? There are many Maldives holidays available but there are Maldives resorts that are a great place to spend a vacation.
The Maldives has long been a bucket list location for tourists and honeymooners alike. It’s no surprise; lying south of India, the Maldives is made up of 26 coral atolls, with 1,192 coral islands offering resorts, beaches and activities galore. The archipelago features incredible marine life, including blue tipped sharks, turtles and manta rays. Diving is a popular activity in the Maldives for good reason; you can go swimming with whale sharks, manta rays or sea turtles even without expensive packages at resorts! We have rounded up some of the best resorts in the Maldives.
Vacation In The Maldives Cost
sun, sand, sea and five star luxury – this sums up a Maldives holiday to perfection. Discover why the Maldives is a dream destination for those looking to relax and escape the stresses of life.
The above estimate is in American dollars, so please use xe.com to find out the average costs in your home currency.
If you’re Canadian, you may want to consider applying for one of the best travel credit cards in Canada to help offset your costs by collecting points. For example, the American Express Platinum Card gives you a signup bonus of up to 85,000 American Express Membership Rewards points which have a minimum value of $850 (potentially more if you transfer your points to Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy). There’s also the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite card that has no foreign transaction fees and it comes with airport lounge access.
Airfare
The Maldives isn’t exactly the easiest place to get to. That said, there are multiple airlines that fly to Malé where the main airport (Velana International Airport) is located. Note that there are no direct flights to the Maldives from North America, so factor the extra time flying for your vacation.
Flights to Malé will cost you about $1,000 USD coming from North America. You’ll also need to take at least one (sometimes two) stopovers just to get to the Maldives. Of course, there are expectations; some months are cheaper than others, and you may find a sale, but $1,000 is a good estimate to expect to pay for flights. If you’re flying from Asia, flights should be a bit cheaper.
Tip: The Maldives is hot and sunny year-round, however, the monsoon season runs from May to October, so keep that in mind when booking.
Accommodations
The Maldives is known to be a luxury destination and is renowned for its resorts and over-the-water bungalows/villas.
Essentially, each of the luxury resorts in the Maldives has its own island which means you will need to change islands if you want to change hotels. Whether you change or not is up to you, however for this itinerary I’m allocating a couple of nights in an over the water bungalow since that’s one of the top experiences you can have in the Maldives, and then the rest of the time at a regular room in another resort.
Overwater bungalows are, unsurprisingly, the most expensive accommodation option in the Maldives and prices start at around $700+ per night. They also charge some crazy resort fees each day. However, they are an experience in themselves. This type of accommodation does book up very quickly, so if you have your heart set on staying in one, book well in advance (as in a year in advance). A few top-rated options include:
As for resorts, there are plenty to choose from. If you are switching islands, you’ll want to make sure you choose islands that are relatively close together so it’s not too long to get to (or too expensive; more on that to come). Resorts will still cost $500+ per night. Some more popular properties include:
- Adaaran Prestige Water Villas – Premium All Inclusive
- Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives
- OBLU SELECT at Sangeli- All Inclusive
As for resorts, there are plenty to choose from. If you are switching islands, you’ll want to make sure you choose islands that are relatively close together so it’s not too long to get to (or too expensive; more on that to come). Resorts will still cost $500+ per night. Some more popular properties include:
It is possible to find cheaper accommodation in the Maldives. There are some more local islands which have hotels, guesthouses and even Airbnb rentals. Islands like Malé have more budget-friendly options. However, the local islands, while still nice, are not the same as the islands you see in the media. If you are looking for that more remote escape type of experience, you’ll want to go to the resorts.
It is important to note that there is a tax and service charge of 22% on pretty much everything in the Maldives, so don’t forget to add that to your prices!
If you have the right credit card, you can save a fair amount of money on hotels. Americans should strongly consider the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card since you can earn up to 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and $200 back at U.S. restaurants as a welcome bonus.
Canadians should consider the Marriott Bonvoy American Express which gives you up to 55,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. That’s enough points for a few free nights at some hotels which could easily have a value of over $500.
Local transportation
As mentioned above, the majority of luxury hotels and properties in the Maldives have their own island which means guests will need to arrive by seaplane or speedboat. Unsurprisingly, neither of these are cheap options.
Pricing depends on which resort island you are going to, and how far it is from Male. For speed boats, you can expect to pay about $100 return. Seaplanes can cost as much as $500 return. If you were thinking about going to a nice restaurant on a different island for a special occasion, you need to budget for the cost of your transportation which will likely cost more than your meal.
Given these costs, I recommend you stick to one or two islands for your trip and do some research ahead of time about how expensive it is to get to the islands you choose.
There are a few local ferries, but they have limited use as they won’t get you to any of the private resorts.
For this article, I’ve estimated $350 with the idea of visiting two islands and using the cheaper transfer options. That said, you could spend much much more.
Attractions
The Maldives is an ocean lover’s paradise. This country has some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling excursions in the Indian Ocean/world. You can expect to pay around $80 for a snorkelling tour and around $160 for scuba diving. Other popular activities include surfing, spa treatments, lagoon/atolls tours, boating and fishing.
If you’re staying in Malé, consider a walking tour or food tour so you can get a sense of the local culture. You could also take an island hopping tour to give you a look at different parts of the country
What you spend here really depends on how much you want to do and what you plan on doing, but allocating $300 for attractions will give you a couple of days of activities.